Supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCO2) is used in a number of applications because of its special properties as a supercritical fluid and for its non-toxicity. For example, SCCO2 is used to produce micro- and nano-scale particles, as a solvent for dry-cleaning, for enhanced oil recovery, as a foaming agent in polymers and in supercritical fluid extraction processes, such as decaffeinating coffee beans, extracting hops for beer production and extracting essential oils from plants. SCCO2 has also been identified for use in closed gas turbine power cycles, such as the Brayton power cycle, because of its very high thermal efficiency of around 45%. This high efficiency cannot only increase the electrical power produced per unit of fuel by 40% or more, but it can also reduce the cost of a power plant by about 18% relative to a plant utilizing a conventional Rankine steam cycle.